On Monday, January 12, the participants of the semifinals of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest were determined by a draw, and Latvia's representative will perform in the second semifinal, while Estonia and Lithuania will be in the first, reports tv3.
In the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest, Georgia, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, Moldova, Greece, Montenegro, Estonia, San Marino, Poland, Belgium, Lithuania, Serbia, and Israel will perform. In the second semifinal, alongside Latvia, Armenia, Romania, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Albania, Denmark, Cyprus, Norway, Malta, Australia, and Ukraine will take the stage. This means that this year Latvia will have to manage without the support of its neighbors.
The exact order of performances in both semifinals will be determined by the end of March.
The first semifinal will take place on May 12, and the second on May 14.
From each semifinal, the top ten participants based on the votes from viewers and the jury will advance to the Eurovision final, which will be held on Saturday, May 16.
The host country Austria, as well as the "Big Four" countries — France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom — do not participate in the semifinals, but their viewers will be able to vote. Germany and Italy will perform and vote in the first semifinal, while Austria, France, and the United Kingdom will do so in the second.
This year, 35 countries will participate in the contest, and the organizers of Eurovision — the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) — confirmed that Israel will also be allowed to participate despite the ongoing war in Gaza and international criticism. This has caused widespread discontent in several European countries. As a result, five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain — announced a boycott, stating that "it is impossible to participate in a contest that is based on the ideas of peace and unity under such conditions."
Who will represent Latvia at the international Eurovision Song Contest will be known soon. The semifinals of the national selection will take place on January 31 and February 7, with the final on February 14.
